Fire basket



N. J. KUNST 2,408,935.

' FIRE-BASKET F iled May 8, 1944 s Shets-Sheet 5 Oct. i946.

Patented Oct. 8, 1946 FIRE BASKET Neil J. Kunst, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Application May 8,

1944, Serial No. 534,560

3 Claims. (Cl. 126-165) This invention relates to firebaskets. It is' aprimary object and purpose of the present invention to provide astructure of the class designated wherein charcoal or similar fuel maybe burned and the heat radiated and conveyed therefrom for heatingrooms; or such heat radiated may be used in toasting or otherwiseapplying heat to foods or the like. The construction which I havedevised is made of few parts, all simply and easily cast, very quicklyassembled and at low cost, and one which is sturdy and durable and whichcan be easily carried from one place to another when required ordesired.

An understanding of the invention may be h ad from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a firebasket made in accordance with myinvention.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a plan view with an overhead grate partl broken away.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section substantially on the plane of line 4-4 ofFig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an under plan view of the lower grate bar and an attachmentassociated therewith, and H V Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective viewillus- 1 trative of the means of connecting said grate bar at its endsto the ends of the basket.

Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the figures ofthe drawings.

In the construction of the firebasket, two

spaced apart vertical ends l of cast metal are provided, whichprogressively increase in width upward from near their lower ends. Eachof said ends I at their lower ends is provided with diverging supportinglegs 2. Each of the ends at each side edge is provided with an inturnedintegral flange 3, said flanges inclining downwardly and inwardly towardeach other, and at their lower end portions reversely turned to providehooks 4 open at their upper sides as shown in Fig. 4. Each of the ends aat each upper outer corner portion thereof has a generally horizontalslot 5 therethrough which inclines slightly upwardly and outwardly, asshown in Figs. 2 and 4, and above the outer ends of such slotsprojecting lugs S are cast integral with the ends for a purpose laterdescribed. At the inner sides of each end I and at the upper portionsthereof a plurality of inwardly extending lugs 1 are also cast, andtoward the lower ends of said sides and above the supporting legs 2openings 8, best shown in Fig. 6, are made therethrough, which openingsare wider at their upper end portions than at their lower portions.

A bail 9 extends between said ends I of the basket, one of the bailsbeing disposed at each side of and at the upper portions of said ends I,being adjustably connected at the inturned ends thereof by means ofheaded screws and thumb nuts indicated at l0, whereby the bails may beadjusted and shifted to any desired position in the length of the slots5 and also may be turned to any on of an indefinite number of angularpositions, two of which are shown in Fig. 4, one at each side of thebasket. Also the bails may be turned inwardly to meet above the centerof the basket serving as handles for carrying it. Such bails connect theends I in spaced relation to each other at their upper portions.

At the lower portions of the ends I they are detachably connected bymeans of an elongated horizontal grate bar H which extends between thetwo ends I, and at each end is provided with two L-shaped lugs [2 asshown which are adapted to pass through the upper larger portions of theopenings 8 and then drop downwardly into the narrower lower portions ofsaid openings, securely yet releasably connecting the ends of the baskettogether.

At the under side of the grate bar ll and substantially midway betweenthe ends thereof a bar 13 of metal is located, having a plurality ofspaced upwardly projecting lugs I 4 adjacent each end and two lugs l5one at each side of the middle point thereof adapted to be broughtagainst opposite outwardly extending fingers on the grate bar ll. Thebar [3 is detachably and adjustably secured by a headed screw and thumbnut construction 16 (Fig. 4). Such bar may be L located at right anglesto the grate bar H and firmly secured in such position by tightening thethumb nut, as in Fig. 4, or by retracting the thumb nut a sufficientdistance, the cross bar 13 may be turned to lie underneath and parallelto the grate bar H, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 5, the thumbnut is being again tightened after this adjustment.

Two grates l1 having spaced relatively long slots with intervening barsbetween extending between the upper and lower edges of said grates areadapted to be placed against the flanges 3, previously described,resting at their lower ends within the hooks 4 in one position of thegrates. In other positions shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4 said gratesmay rest at their lower edges within said hooks 4 and be held at theirupper portions between adjacent lugs I; or, as shown at the left in Fig.4, may be located inside the innermost lugs l and inside the hooks 4.Also a horizontal grate I8 is adapted to be placed upon the upper endsof the four corner projections 6 on the ends I, being readily removablewhen not needed or wanted.

With such firebaslcet construction fuel, for example charcoal, may beplaced in greater or less amounts within the retaining basket thusprovided by the ends I, the lower grate, bar II and the sidegrates FLAir for combustion is, supplied to the fuel from below, through theslots in the side grates I1 and through the slots shown as made in theends I. The amount of the fuel which is to be burned and therefore thequantity of heat emitted is controllable through the many differentpositions 11 may be adjusted. Of course, with the upper horizontal grateI8 in place heat arising therefrom may be used to heat food, liquid andthe like in suitable containers which may rest upon and be supported atthe-upper side of said grate.

The bar l3 in the position transversely of the lower grate bar [1, as inFig. 4, may serve as a support for a holder l9 of bread to be toasted,meat to be broiled or the like and the location of said holder l-9relative to the adjacent side grates I! may be adjusted by an adjustmentof the ball 9 to different angular positions and by a selected locationof the" lower end of the holder 59 between the spaced upwardly extendinglugs l4, providing an indefinite number of relative positions of theholder of thefood to be acted upon by the heat with reference to theadjacent side grates IT.

This construction of firebasket is of special strength and durabilityand is' very economically produced. Substantially all parts thereofexcept the thumb screws used are castings which require little or nomachining before assembly. The basket is of utility in heating rooms,with of course asuitable fire resisting support upon which the basket isplaced, as upon the bottom of a fireplace orupon a suitable mat of fireimper-vious material. Of course the basket is also of utility out ofdoors for cooking food, heating liquid and the like.

The invention is defined in the appended claims and allmodifications of:structure coming within the scope of said claims are to be comprehendedby the invention.

I claim:

V 1. A fire basket comprising spaced upwardly outwardly tapered ends, abottom grate bar exto which the side grates tending between the lowernarrower portions of said ends but spaced upwardly from the bottomsthereof and detachably connected to said ends, bail member ofsubstantially U-shape extending between and pivotally connected to saidends near their upper edges and serving to tie the ends together, saidbails being so proportioned that they may be brought into juxtapositionabove said device to jointly serve as a carrying handle, means forretaining said bail members in any of their pivotal positions, a pair ofgrates extending between said ends, and means on said ends for removablyreceiving said grate in laterally spaced and substantially verticalposition.

2. A fire basket comprising spaced upwardly outwardly tapered ends, abottom grate bar extending between the lower narrower portions of saidends but spaced upwardly from the bottoms thereof and detachablyconnected to said ends, bail member of substantially U-shape extendingbetween and pivotally connected to said ends near their upper edges andserving to tie the ends together, means for retaining said ball membersin any of their pivotal positions, a pair of grates extending betweensaid ends, I leans on said ends for removably receiving said grates inlaterally spaced and substantially vertical position, and a supportingbar detachably connected to said bottom grate bar and extendingoutwardly laterally therefrom and adapted to serve jointly with eitherof said bails as a support for a grill.

3. A fire basket comprising spaced upwardly outwardly tapered ends, abottom grate bar extending between the lower narrower portions of saidend but spaced upwardly from the bottoms thereof and detachablyconnected to said ends, bail member of substantially U-shape extendingbetween and pivotally connected to said ends near their upper edges andserving to 'e the ends together, means for retaining said bail membersin any of their pivotal positions, a pair of grates extending betweensaid ends, means on said ends for removably receiving said grates inlaterally spaced and substantially vertical position, and a s pportingbar, pivotally connected to said bottom grate bar and adapted to extendoutwardly laterally therefrom wherein it serves jointly with said bailsas a support for a grill and adapted to be moved into alinement withsaid grate bar.

NEIL J. KUNST.

